New Large-Patient Study Reveals Significant Reduction in Hospital Admissions from Pathnostics Advanced UTI Test
IRVINE, Calif., April 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pathnostics, a diagnostic solutions company, announced today results from a new Institutional Review Board-approved, large-patient study revealing a 13.7 percent reduction in hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) visits from patients who were treated for urinary tract infections (UTIs) based on results from the company's advanced Guidance UTI test compared to those treated based on standard urine culture results. Published in JOJ Urology & Nephrology, an open access, peer-reviewed international journal, the study's findings come at a time when the health care industry is focused more than ever on reducing hospital visits and admissions.
Urinary tract infections are the second most common infection in geriatric populations, accounting for 10.5 million office visits and 3 million ED visits in the U.S. annually, according to Nature Review: Microbiology. When not diagnosed and treated, many UTIs lead to emergency department visits, which a U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health article reports can cost the health care system as much as $2.8 billion annually. Pathnostics' new study illustrates a 13.7 percent reduction in hospital admissions and ED visits from patients who were treated for UTIs based on results from its proprietary and patented Guidance UTI test. An advanced assay combining multiplex-polymerase chain reaction (M-PCR) and pooled antibiotic susceptibility testing (P-AST), the Guidance UTI test combines rapid turnaround time with the highest level of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, delivering results in 24 hours compared to standard urine culture testing, which can take up to five days to process and yield a significant number of false negative results.
The findings are based on an observational, retrospective study comprised of 66,383 patients seen for possible UTIs by house-call primary care providers. The patients were divided into two groups that compared the number of hospital admissions and ED visits. One cohort of 34,414 patients was treated based on results from standard urine cultures and the other cohort of 31,967 patients was treated based on results from the Guidance UTI test. The group of patients treated based on the Guidance UTI test results was associated with a 13.7 percent decrease in hospital admissions and/or ED visits when compared to the group who utilized the standard urine culture testing (p value = 0.003). Additional and separate studies reveal that averting hospital utilization achieves approximately $64,000 of savings per patient.
David Baunoch, Ph.D., chief scientific officer, Pathnostics, and co-author of the study, said, "Now, more than any other time, it's essential to keep patients out of the hospital. The elderly population, with increased co-morbidities, is especially at risk. The results of this study underscore the impact that improved testing methodologies can have on ED and hospital utilization in the frail and elderly."
The study, "Utilization of M-PCR and P-AST for diagnosis and management of urinary tract infections in home-based primary care," can be viewed in its entirety on the JOJ Urology and Nephrology website: https://juniperpublishers.com/jojun/pdf/JOJUN.MS.ID.555707.pdf.
About the Guidance UTI Test
With approximately 25 percent of nearly 4 million annual UTI cases estimated to be complex and challenging to diagnose, increasing numbers of urologists are turning to Pathnostics' Guidance UTI test in lieu of traditional urine culture testing, which can take multiple days to process and yield a significant number of false negative results. The proprietary, patented Guidance UTI test simultaneously diagnoses and guides antibiotic treatment for complex, recurring urinary tract infections. It is the only test in the market to offer molecular technology combining genotyping and phenotyping, yielding the highest level of diagnostic specificity and sensitivity with rapid turnaround time, enabling physicians to simultaneously diagnose and guide antibiotic treatment, reducing empiric therapy. Since launching its Guidance UTI test in 2016, Pathnostics has performed nearly 200,000 patient tests on behalf of more than 750 providers, including many of the nation's top urology practices.
About Pathnostics
Pathnostics is a diagnostic solutions company that pioneers innovative approaches for improved patient care. Leveraging its proprietary and patented technology, the company develops solutions that address diagnostic and therapeutic issues for physicians and patients. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Pathnostics is a company of Water Street Healthcare Partners, a strategic investor focused exclusively on the health care industry. For more information about the company and its portfolio of products, visit pathnostics.com.
SOURCE Pathnostics
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